Multiple stage thread advancing drier reel



Patented Mar. 29, 1949 MULTIPLE STAGE THREAD ADVANCING DRIER REEL Thomas S. Mayner, Chagrin Harbor, hlo, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 2'0, 1947, Serial No. 787,146

4 Claims.

This invention relates to thread drying reels over which thread or the like is advanced in a plurality of helical turns. More particularly the invention relates to a thread advancing reel that is advantageously utilized in the manufacture of rayon yarn, thread, and the like, by continuous process and upon which an additional processing step besides drying can be performed.

Reels operating on the principle disclosed in the Knebusch Patent No. 2,210,914 and embodying a heat transfer chamber as shown in the Bergman Patent No. 2,294,866 are adapted to perform generally a single processing step, that only of drying by the application of heat while advancing the thread in a plurality of general helical turns. Any o her additional processing steps are usually performed on separate reels. Processing steps such as the application of a lubricant to the thread or yarn or centrifugal removal of excess liquid from the yarn are performed on reels away from the dryer reel. It would be ad,- vantageous therefore to perform either of these processing steps substantially immediately prior to the drying of the thread and on the same reel. The shrinkage characteristics can be better controlled through such a processing of the thread. Also the combination of a plurality of steps on the same reel advantageously decreases the size of the machine upon which the reels are mounted, the use of guiding devices, maintenance, etc.

This invention provides for a reel upon which at least two processing steps can be performed, one being the step of drying. The reel operates on the Knebusch principle where thread or the like is advanced over it in a plurality of generally helical turns through the cooperation of the several reel member bars forming the reel periphery. The reel is divided into at least two separate stages formed by three reel members, all rotating about the same shaft. One of the reel members has longitudinally extending bar members of continuous length; between these bar members in an interdigitating relation there are positioned in an end-to-end relation bars of at least two other reel members whose overall length is substantially equal to the bars of the first reel member. The latter two reel members rotate about axes that are offset and askew to the axis of the first reel member. so that their planes intersect or are circularly arranged in a successive manner about the reel shaft. Such an advantageous positioning of the eccentric axes enables the thread turns to move The axes are preferably arranged 2 from one reel section to the other without substantial distortion of the thread helix.

Within one end of the first reel member.- there is advantageously positioned a heat transfer chamber. The bars comprising that reel member also desirably form the periphery of this chamber in order that there may b a substantially immediate and constant transfer of heat to the thread travelling Over the reel periphery. The initial thread receiving reel section is, generally, that adiacent the reel flange 44 so that the thread is adapted to travel toward the unobstructed end of the reel. A prior processing step such as an application of a lubricant or size to the thread, or some other desirable treatment is usually performed on this advanced section of the reel. Th bars of the eccentric reel members are arranged in an end-to-end relation, and their ends are tapered so as to be contiguous for a por ion of their lengths. The thread transfer points ad.- vantageously lie within the contiguous sections of the tapered portions.

There is thus provided a reel that is adapted to advantageously perform at least two processing steps one of the steps being the drying of thread.

This invention will be better understood from the following description and the accompanying drawing where:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the reel;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional end view of the reel along line 2-2 of Figure 3; and

Figure 3 represents a cross section of thereel of Figure 1 taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the reel is shown to be comprised of at-least three individual reel members I I], ll, l2 all mounted on a common shaft I5. The reel member Ill has longi udinally extending bar members iii of continuous length. Interleaved between the bar members l6 of reel member Ill are similar pluralities of longitudinally extending bar members I8, 20 which form the peripheries of reel members H and I2, respectively. The reel members ll, l2 are arranged in an end-to-end'relation and their bars are advantageously tapered at their ends so that they are desirably contiguous for a portion of their lengths. Such a construction of the bar ends enables the thread turns to be transferred from the one to the other bar with a minimum of distortion. Also, the combined length of the bars 18. 20 is substantially equal to the lengthof the bars Hi.

The longitudinally extending reel member ID is mounted fixedly to and concentrically about the reel shaft l5 so as to rotate therewith. In one end of the reel member Ill there is positioned a heat transfer chamber 25. The chamber comprises an enclosed cylinder, its ends being sealed held in place by means of a screw 22 positioned in the cap 23 and threaded into the shaft I5. The cap is forced against the gasket 29 compressing it as well as gasket 30 about the reel shaft l5. A collar 32 on the shaft [5 serves as an abutment against which the gasket 30 is compressed.

The bar members l6 of the concentric member III at their other ends merge into a flange 44 which is fastened to a hub member by bolts 46. The hub member 45 is adapted to be rotatably supported by a sleeve 42 and rotates on a sleeve bearing 48. Lateral displacement of the hub member is prevented by the collar 41 which is fixed to the sleeve 42 by a set screw 49. An anti-friction ring 5| is desirably interposed between the collar 41 and hub 45.

Mounted about the shaft and adjacent the heating chamber are a pair of eccentric sleeves 33, 34. The eccentrics, in turn, are positioned about a sleeve 35 through which the shaft 15 extends. On the eccentrics are mounted for rotation the eccentric reel members H and I2. Retaining rings 31, are utilized to maintain the reel members II and I2 against lateral displacement.

The eccentrics 33, 34 are pressed against the supporting sleeve 42 after being advantageously positioned so that their inclined axes intersect to provide for an optimum positioning of the reel The eccentrics can be a members ll and I2. rotated away from their intersecting position to establish other positions over which the thread may readily traverse, however the further the eccentrics are rotated from an intersecting position the greater will be the distortion of the thread helix. The sleeve 42 has a flanged end 43 which is utilized as the reel support; it is adapted to be positioned in the face of a spinning machine (not shown). bers I I, I2 are free to rotate about the shaft l5 being driven by the reel member ID.

The shaft l5 supporting the reel is desirably a tubular shaft having another tube of lesser diameter within its interior. central tube 50 and the annular space between it and the shaft l5 provide conduits for the flow of a heating medium to the heat transfer'chamber 25. The two tubes are desirably sealed at substantially one end of the reel shaft to form individual heating medium conduits. The heating medium is adapted to fiow into the chamber 25, through openings 52, 54, which join the interior of the central tube 50 with the interior of the heating chamber 25. The chamber is exhausted through openings 55, 5B in the wall of the reel shaft l5. The supporting end of the reel shaft through which the heating medium is admitted and exhausted is desirably enclosed by a seal 50 which is generally shown. This seal is adapted to admit the heating medium to the core of the shaft l5 and to exhaust the heating medium from the annular conduit of the shaft.

There is further provided a driving gear 5| mounted on one end of th reel shaft I5 prior to the seal and fixed thereto by means of a set screw 62. Also the bearings of the various reel sections are advantageously sealed off by flexible seals 64, 65, and 66 which are firmly attached to the hub portions of the reel members.

The eccentric reel memr The core of the Should it be desired to isolate the heating part of the reel from the rest of it the bars I I of the concentric member II) can have heat insulating members In inserted in them. These insulating members also can have laterally extending dowell portions H which are received by complementary recesses, and thus maintain the strength of the bar members. Such a precaution, however, is not absolutely necessary since the amountof heat flowing into the rearward section of the reel would be negligible, and in some instances, advantageous.

While the drawing and the description have been, in a general way, limited to a reel having two eccentric reel members and a heating section at one end of the reel obviously the construction can be readily modified without departing from the scope of the invention. The reel can be constructed so that the heating section can be in the receiving portion of the reel, or it can be in the central portion with a non-heating section prior and subsequent to the heating section. Further, the construction of the reel lends itself readily to a reel having a-plurality of reel sections with heating chambers placed in a plurality of positions along the reel length.

I claim:

1. A multiple-stage thread advancing reel where one of the stages is that of drying comprising, a reel member having a periphery of a plurality of longitudinally extending bar members, a heating means positioned in said reel member, and a plurality of reel members having peripheries of pluralities of bar members in an end-to-end relation and which interdigitate with the bar members of said first reel member, the overall length of said plurality of reel members bars being substantially equal to that of the bar members of said first reel member, said bar members cooperating to advance thread over the reel in a plurality of generally helical turns.

2. A thread advancing drier reel comprising, a reel member having a periphery of a. plurality of longitudinally extending bar members, a heat transfer chamber occupying a portion of said reel member, and a plurality of reel members rotating on axes eccentric to said first reel member having peripheries of pluralities of bar members positioned in an end-to-end relation and which interdigitate with the bar members of said first reel member, the overall length of said plurality of eccentric reel member bars being substantially equal to that of the bar members of said first reel member, said bar members cooperating to.

advance thread over the reel in a plurality of generally helical turns.

3. A thread advancing drier reel comprising, a reel member having a periphery of a plurality of longitudinally extending bar members, a closed imperforate hollow body disposed within said reel members through which a heating medium is circulated, and a plurality of reel members having peripheries of pluralities of bar members in an end-to-end relation and which interdigitate with the bar members of said first reel member. the

overall length of said plurality of reel member bars being substantially equal to that of the bar members of said first reel member, said bar members cooperating to advance thread over the reel in a plurality of generally helical turns.

4. A cantilever thread advancing reel comprising, a reel member having a periphery of a plurality of longitudinally extending bar members, a plurality of reel members rotating on axes that are offset and askew to the axis of said first reel disposed within the shaft 'reel member, said hollow body extending substantially for a length of one of said plurality of reel members, and means accuses in said shaft for conducting and exhausting a heating medium to and from said hollow body.

THOMAS S. MAYNER;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,983,795 Furness Dec. 11, 1934 2,210,920 Jordan Aug. 13, 1940 2,368,386 Tarbox Jan. 30, .1945 

